Genfo

It is served as a mound with a hole in the middle, and the hole is the sauce bowl.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (butter), dairy (niter kibbeh), dairy (yoghurt).

Ingredients

• 300 g barley flour, or wholemeal wheat flour
• 900 ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons niter kibbeh, as on its own page
• 2 teaspoons berbere
• 200 g plain yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. IT IS SERVED AS A MOUND WITH A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE, AND THE HOLE IS THE SAUCE BOWL. Its article describes exactly that: genfo IS PRESENTED IN A LARGE MOUND WITH A HOLE IN THE CENTER, FILLED WITH A MIXTURE OF NITER KIBBEH AND BERBERE. The porridge is deliberately plain and the well carries all the seasoning, so every scoop is dipped rather than stirred.
2. WHICH IS WHY NOTHING GOES INTO THE PORRIDGE BUT FLOUR, WATER AND SALT. Season the mound itself and the well has no job.
3. THE FLOUR AND WATER GO IN TOGETHER AND ARE STIRRED WITHOUT STOPPING. The article is specific that THE FLOUR AND WATER ARE COMBINED AND STIRRED CONTINUOUSLY WITH A WOODEN SPOON. Add flour to hot water in handfuls and it lumps; start it cold and stir, and it never does.
4. BRING IT UP SLOWLY AND KEEP THE SPOON MOVING. Ten to fifteen minutes. It goes from a batter to a paste to something that holds the mark of the spoon, and it is ready when a drawn line stays open.
5. IT WILL FIGHT BACK AT THE END, AND THAT IS THE POINT. The last few minutes are hard work with a wooden spoon against the side of the pan. Underworked genfo slumps and will not hold a well.
6. WARM THE NITER KIBBEH WITH THE BERBERE WHILE THE PORRIDGE FINISHES. A minute over a low heat, no more -- berbere is mostly chilli and ground spice and it scorches fast.
7. TURN IT OUT WET AND SHAPE IT FAST. Wet the bowl, pack the porridge in, invert it onto the plate, and push a well into the top with the back of a wet spoon. It sets as it cools and will not shape at all once it has.
8. POUR THE SPICED BUTTER INTO THE WELL AND SERVE THE YOGHURT BESIDE IT. Eaten with the hands or a utensil, which is the article's own note, and each piece is taken from the edge and dipped into the middle.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Ethiopia · All recipes